New acting police commissioner

Lieutenant-General Johannes Khomotso Phahlane was appointed as acting national commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Phahlane takes over from Riah Phiyega who was suspended yesterday on full pay.

Phiyega who was appointed in 2012, two months before the Marikana massacre faces an inquiry into her fitness to hold office following the release of the Farlam Commission’s Marikana report.

Speaking to Parliament’s police committee hours after he was announced as the acting commissioner of police, Phahlane assured members that the police service was ready to do what was expected of it.

Phahlane, who was thrown right into the hot seat, told the committee that they did not need to worry about the leadership issues in the police.

“We will, in the absence of the national commissioner, steer this organisation to a direction.

“We respect the decision of the president to allow due processes to take place,” said Phahlane.

He said they knew they had at least six months to turn things around in the different police units.

“It’s not our intention at all to change the plan which is in place; ours is to go and relook at our strategies and approaches which could make us cover some ground and hopefully, come the end of the financial year, the picture will look different.

“We of course know one of our key programmes where delivery is expected is detective services.”

Phahlane, who is currently the divisional commissioner for forensic services at the SAPS, said they would do some serious introspection to get the detectives services up to standard.

Phiyega will be probed on her leadership, decisions and actions during the violence in Marikana in August 2012 which led to the deaths of 34 miners.

The inquiry will be headed by Judge Cornelis Claasen but a date is yet to be set.

@scoobieW